


Scattered Petals

by Phoenix_Soar



Category: Block B
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Author Is Sleep Deprived, Awkward Romance, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Park Kyung is a Greasy Little Shit, U-Kwon is So Done, Zico is Not Subtle
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-11
Updated: 2017-02-12
Packaged: 2018-08-21 23:30:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8264464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phoenix_Soar/pseuds/Phoenix_Soar
Summary: As a part-timer at a florist shop, Park Kyung has been waiting all his life - OK, a year - for the customer that orders not the ever clichéd “I love you” bouquet of flowers, but the complete opposite. Enter Woo Jiho, who asks for more than Kyung ever expected.





	1. Scattered

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on this amazing prompt on tumblr: _Person A owns a flower shop and person B comes storming in one day, slaps 20 bucks on the counter and says “How do I passive-aggressively say fuck you in flower?”_  
>  Check out [**this post**](http://phoenix-soar.tumblr.com/post/149483734737/flower-shop-au) because it came with the amazing drawing of what a "Fuck You" bouquet looks like, which I incorporated into this fic. [**Here**](http://www.angelfire.com/journal2/flowers/pcd6.html) is my reference for the meanings of flowers - basically the bulk of my research for this fic XD
> 
> Also, I threw in Korean actor Kim Jiseok as Kyung's boss here, 'cause I fell in love with what a dork he is when I watched "Problematic Men" (after Kyung became a permanent member), and also because I love that hyung-dongsaeng bromance Kyung's got going with Jiseok XD ♥

Being surrounded by flowers for twenty hours a week was hardly what Kyung had envisioned when he first got his university acceptance letter a year ago.  
  
His fantasies had featured crazy frat parties and utter freedom from home life in addition to finally studying something that _he_ actually wanted. University life had seemed the ultimate dream.  
  
But then a day before his first semester, he was dealt the reality check that his parents meant to cover only his tuition fees and that alone. The rest of his living expenses were dumped unceremoniously on his head because he had ‘lived a coddled and entitled life long enough’.  
  
‘You’re not serious, are you?’ Kyung had said with a startled laugh, half-certain that it was his parents’ idea of a joke-gift for passing his entrance exams.  
  
His reply was an envelope shoved under his nose containing enough pocket money to cover food and other costs for his first month on campus, and nothing more.  
  
‘Get a job,’ his father had said shortly while his mother smiled encouragingly.  
  
(Kyung had refrained from pointing out that that was the entire _point_ of going to university in the first place; he did not want to drive another nail into his coffin by sassing his parents.)  
  
That was how he had ended up here in Kim’s Scattered Petals, dressed in its uniform of red polo shirt and black pants, and breathing in what seemed like a hundred different fragrances on the daily. For over a year, he had been arranging bouquets in infinite combinations of flowers for an endless stream of lovers, young and old.  
  
Kyung had been slightly grumpy about the circumstances at first because flowers had never interested him before and his shifts at the florist shop occasionally clashed with the campus raves. Still, he had opted for it because it paid better than the coffee shop he had first considered, and university students needed enough dough not only for unhealthy midnight take-out but all the caffeine that substituted blood and oxygen during projects and exam weeks.  
  
Things got easier when his boss took a liking to him due to their similar temperaments. Kim Jiseok was in his thirties, but with him it was easy laughter, raunchy jokes and sassy comments about snooty customers muttered under their breaths every day.  
  
Kyung also discovered that he could get along with his co-worker, a guy named Yukwon who was his age but had at first seemed too cold - until he burst into raucous peals of laughter when Kyung remarked on his second day, ‘Why would anyone give a cactus as a gift? It's like giving your girlfriend a spiked dildo,’ and could not catch his breath for minutes. A person that could appreciate Kyung's greasy and occasionally twisted sense of humour was a rarity and Kyung immediately decided that he liked him.  
  
With such agreeable working conditions, Kyung found himself warming to the job.  
  
What really knocked his socks off was when his boss introduced him to the meanings of flowers during his training.  
  
Kyung’s first response to the volume titled “Say It With Flowers” was a boorish snort. ‘You’re giving the sex organs of a frickin’ plant to someone. I’d say the meaning is pretty darn clear.’  
  
Jiseok chuckled as he flipped through the book. ‘I used to think that too before my dad left me this shop. But look at this.’  
  
He handed it over and Kyung scanned the page Jiseok had opened. His eyes stopped at the title. He raised his eyebrows. Exchanging a glance with Jiseok who was grinning broadly at him, Kyung scanned the page swiftly.  
  
His lips began to twist in a slow smirk. ‘Huh. A marigold says all that, huh?’  
  
His boss outright laughed at him. ‘I had a feeling you’d enjoy that, you rotten punk. These were my favourite pages when my dad gave me this book too.’  
  
Kyung’s smirk grew as he read the meaning for another flower. ‘I didn’t even know there was a flower called Bee Balm until a second ago, but it means _your whims are unbearable_?’ He cackled.  
  
‘Perfect flower to give you, ain’t it?’ Jiseok smacked him fondly upside the head, snickering at Kyung’s half-hearted protest. ‘Anyway, remember to go through all the meanings. We get so many customers asking which flowers represent their exact feelings. You need to know them all to work the flower business.’  
  
Kyung hummed, his eyes sparkling as he devoured the open page greedily. ‘You mean customers ask how to say stuff like _you’re stupid_ with flowers, hyung?’  
  
Jiseok snorted. ‘Not yet. Disappointingly, all flower buyers seem to be hopeless romanticists, so you need to focus more on those meanings.’  
  
‘I like these more, though,’ Kyung snickered, flipping a page. ‘I had no idea “Negative Meanings of Flowers” was a thing.’  
  
‘Because for you giving flowers just means _I want to bone you_ , doesn’t it?’ Jiseok said dryly, shaking his head. ‘Perverted brat.’  
  
‘Hey, sex organs of a plant, remember?’  
  
‘Get to learning.’ Jiseok clapped him on the shoulder and turned to leave. ‘There’s a huge difference between giving someone a pink rose and a red one.’  
  
Honestly, Kyung could not care less that a pink rose could mean happiness or secret love while red roses represented love and passion. The lovey dovey meanings held little interest for him. Still, he could not escape learning those anyway, because Jiseok was absolutely right. Young men and women would come in, asking him which flowers best conveyed their feelings of romance and commitment in the most sublime ways. Everybody wanted the most unique combination of flowers to send the most unique message of the most clichéd love to their sweethearts.  
  
No one ever asked him how to say anything actually interesting like _you’re an idiot_ or _I declare war on you_ using flowers, though. It was such a waste, he mused, considering how one could say not only _thou art a cruel bitch in love,_ but _thou art a jealous and vulgar cruel bitch in love_ with marigolds alone.  
  
Flowers are wasted on romanticists, he decided and took matters into his own hands.  
  
It began as harmless little pranks.  
  
Quite often, Kyung would encounter customers who either did not know or care what the flowers meant. Instead, they insisted on the colours or outward beauty of the flowers to create bouquets weighing more on the aesthetic side than the meaningful, depending on Kyung to choose the best options for them.  
  
And really, how could Kyung pass up such wonderful opportunities when they were being practically handed to him on silver platters?  
  
Cranking up his most charming smile to maximum voltage, Kyung would put together gorgeous bouquets into which he would jauntily add a flower or two bearing less than romantic meanings.  
  
A bouquet of white roses ( _I am worthy of you_ ) with a few slender twigs of cherry blossoms ( _false hopes_ ).  
  
Purple lilies ( _first emotions of love_ ) and lemon blossoms ( _I promise to be true_ ) dotted with some choice petunias ( _resentment and anger_ ).  
  
The classic baby’s breath ( _undying love_ ) in an ironic embrace with lavenders ( _distrust_ ).  
  
The combinations were endless.  
  
He even once sold a bouquet made solely of purple carnations because the image of that nervous seventeen year old customer pledging his heart and life to his first love with flowers that scream _capriciousness_ was exactly Kyung’s cup of tea.  
  
His favourite trick was during the Christmas rush of his first year working at the florist shop. Eager lovers would come in, seeking bouquets combining the holiday spirit with romance, and Kyung would gleefully prepare gorgeous bouquets of blood red roses interspersed with white berry mistletoe instead of the typical baby’s breath.  
  
Most of the customers thought it was brilliant (‘Love and Christmas in one,’ sighed a girl to her boyfriend when he bought one for her); Kyung thought it was piss-his-pants hilarious.  
  
Even more so when it occurred to him that there were millions of people out there kissing under mistletoe, unaware that the cute little white berries overhead branded them as _parasites_.  
  
Who knew flowers and plants could suddenly become so interesting, he would snicker inwardly to himself as he flashed his most debonair smiles at unassuming customers.  
  
There was also something oddly satisfying about orchestrating these simple jokes that only he knew about (and Jiseok hyung and Yukwon, because they were bright crayons and caught on to what he was doing; they would often share a laugh together over Kyung's ridiculous bouquets). The customers had no idea and Kyung assumed that their lovers did not either (or did not care) because none of his buyers had yet come back to punch him in the face.  
  
And so over a year had passed in much a similar manner and Kyung imagined the rest of his days at Scattered Petals until his graduation would be the same.  
  
That was until that crisp Spring evening, soon after the beginning of a new semester, when the door of the shop was thrown open almost violently and in stomped a young man, tall and strangely familiar, with a roiling storm following in his wake. Kyung turned away from the newest shipment of red roses he was trimming, but before he could even greet the customer, a handful of wrinkled bills was slammed down on the counter before him.  
  
'How do I passive-aggressively say "fuck you" in flower?!'  
  
And Kyung just stared, momentarily speechless, at slanted dark eyes glaring at him and full lips twisted in an ugly frown, before breaking into a delighted laugh. He leaned forward on the counter and, with a shit-eating grin, drawled,  
  
'Oh, _dude_ , where have you been all my life?'  
  


~***~  
  


'What?' The guy blinked, taken aback, and the angry frown dominating his face battled with confusion and surprise.  
  
Realising that he had spoken without thinking in his excitement, Kyung straightened again but could not fight off his huge grin.  
  
'You've no idea how long I've been waiting for someone to say that to me.'  
  
'Uh ... um ...' The guy scratched behind his ear, his gaze rapidly darting between Kyung's eyes and the counter. The customer's obvious fluster at Kyung's response contrasted endearingly with his earlier fury and it only added to Kyung's unbridled joy, but then he caught Yukwon's raised eyebrow from across the shop and remembered he had a duty to at least pretend to be professional.  
  
Clearing his throat, Kyung brought his smile under control and said, 'Could you please repeat your order again, sir?'  
  
The guy looked a bit thrown at Kyung's change of tone, but then his expression hardened. 'I said, how do you say "fuck you" to someone in flower?'  
  
It was all Kyung could do to keep his glee from overflowing again. 'Well, there are many levels of saying that.'  
  
As the young man furrowed his brows uncertainly, Kyung placed the garden scissors he had been using on the red roses aside and asked with a smirk, 'On a scale of one to ten, how pissed would you say you are at this person?'  
  
'Add a couple thousand zeroes to that ten,' was the sardonic reply and Kyung's smirk widened.  
  
'Then I know just what you need. Please wait a few minutes, sir.'  
  
Beaming so hard that it nearly hurt his cheeks, Kyung sauntered off to gather the flowers for what he knew would be the most glorious bouquet he would ever make. He had certainly used those flowers before, but only separately for the subtle jokes he played on his customers. Never had he received the chance to actually sell them together as one, though he had spent several slow days at the shop planning and perfecting the idea for such a bouquet.  
  
Yukwon was wrapping up an orchid plant for another customer when Kyung passed him to get to the lilies. Pointing his customer in the direction of Jiseok, who was manning the till, Yukwon turned to Kyung, commenting. 'You look happy.'  
  
Kyung snorted. 'Happy? Bro, I've hit the frickin' jackpot!'  
  
Understanding dawned on Yukwon's handsome face when he saw Kyung picking out orange lilies. 'Seriously?'  
  
'Yep.' Kyung nodded happily.  
  
'Somebody actually wants to say _I hate you_ with flowers? I didn't think they existed.' Yukwon glanced at Kyung's customer, who was staring at Kyung intensely with his arms shoved deep into the pockets of his long grey coat.  
  
'Nope, even better!' Kyung straightened up, clutching the orange lilies as if they were made of glass. 'His desired message is _fuck you_. I shit you not.'  
  
There was a moment of silence. Then Yukwon let out a low whistle. 'Wow. You hit the jackpot.'  
  
Kyung just laughed, exhilarated, now reaching over to grab some yellow carnations.  
  
'You're really going all out,' Yukwon observed. Tilting his head, he added, 'Knowing you, you're gonna put in a whole bunch more. What do you need me to get?'  
  
'Oh, _babe_ , I always knew there was a reason you're my favourite co-worker.'  
  
'I'm your only co-worker during our shifts, you greasy dick.' Yukwon rolled his eyes, but his lips were twitching as Kyung finished picking the carnations.  
  
'Bet you think of my dick all the time, don't you, all greasy and ready for yo -'  
  
'Yah, Park Kyung!'  
  
Ignoring the stifled laughter, Yukwon quickly glanced around to make sure his friend's inappropriate joke had not been overheard. After more than a year of working together, Yukwon was more than used to Kyung being a playful but incorrigible flirt, the sexual nature of his jokes in direct proportion to how comfortable he felt with that person. But this was still their place of work.  
  
Thankfully, the only customer in the shop currently was Kyung's; the guy was still following Kyung's movements around the shop, but he was at the other end of the long counter.  
  
Yukwon turned back to Kyung. 'Well? Tell me before I change my mind.'  
  
'OK, OK. I need geraniums - wait, we have them here. But the meadowsweet, are we out?'  
  
'We've some in the back. I'll grab them for you.'  
  
'Thanks, Kwon-ah. Just get me one stem with the largest flower bunch you can find.'  
  
It took a few more minutes for Kyung to finish gathering his flowers, his excitement building with each new stalk he added to his arms. In the meantime, Yukwon returned with Kyung’s requested stem of meadowsweet, the bundled white flowers looking pristine and fluffy, which he placed on the counter in front of Kyung’s customer before walking away to attend another patron.  
  
The guy was still gazing at the stem of meadowsweet when Kyung finally returned to the counter. He blinked when Kyung placed his armful of flowers beside the meadowsweet, eyes roving sceptically over the colourful array. His furrowed his brows.  
  
Noting his expression, Kyung had to fight down another smirk. What he had grown to love most about flowers with “negative meanings” was that most of them were quite beautiful in appearance, creating a hard juxtaposition with their less-than-flattering meanings. His customer, though, was harbouring deep hatred for the person he wished to “passive-aggressively” flip off and he was clearly having trouble associating his feelings with the pretty flowers that had been placed before him.  
  
He finally voiced his cynicism when Kyung unrolled a length of white flower wrap to prepare his bouquet.  
  
‘White?’  
  
Kyung looked up to see the young man glowering at the mesh paper in his hands with a critical eyebrow raised.  
  
‘You want another colour?’  
  
‘How about the one that says “fuck you” the loudest?’  
  
It was all Kyung could do to keep from laughing out loud. ‘And what colour would that be?’  
  
‘You’re the fucking florist, aren’t you supposed to know?’ As soon as the words left his mouth, the guy stilled, looking shamefaced at his outburst.  
  
Kyung did not mind the words much, but they made him look at his agitated customer - actually _look_ at him, beyond Kyung’s first delightful impression of him as the only patron to have ever requested an offensive bouquet from him.  
  
He was a young man, tall and good-looking with dyed light brown hair falling into slanted black eyes. There was something familiar about his features, as if Kyung had often seen him in passing, but he could not recall from where. He was dressed nicely, wearing a navy turtleneck and dark jeans underneath his long grey coat – not the typical attire of an exhausted college student, though he looked to be around Kyung’s age. In fact, Kyung would normally guess from such clothes that he was dressed for a date, and the fact that he was buying a bouquet would also hint at such … except that he had made it clear beyond a doubt that he was goddamn livid at the person he was buying flowers for.  
  
For the first time, Kyung actually wondered what had driven this guy to such an action; an action Kyung knew would normally be looked down on as childish and petty.  
  
When Kyung continued to gaze at him, no longer smiling, the guy leaned back slightly, the flustered look from earlier returning to his face.  
  
‘Um … look, I … I didn’t mean to say that –’ he began, the anger once more gone from his voice, replaced with guilt and uncertainty.  
  
‘It’s cool,’ Kyung interrupted him, giving him a more reserved smile this time. ‘As for this –’ He held up the white wrapping mesh ‘–I can change it, if you’d like, but as you can see-’ He gestured at the flowers beside him on the counter ‘- there’s a whole load of colourful shi–’ He catches himself from swearing just in time – ‘ _things_ happening here, which is why I chose white. Make the flowers stand out more, yanno?’  
  
‘Uh. Yeah. I see.’ His customer was scratching behind his ear again, looking at the flowers instead of Kyung. If Kyung did not know better, he would say the guy was almost embarrassed.  
  
‘You could also think of the white paper as the passive part of your “passive-aggressive” bouquet,’ added Kyung with a full-blown grin.  
  
The guy met his eyes this time but said nothing. When he continued to wait in silence, Kyung gathered he was being given the green light to go ahead and do whatever the hell he wanted, and he did just that.  
  
Under his customer’s piercing gaze, Kyung carefully began to arrange his bouquet. The only splash of white among his gathered flowers was the meadowsweet, which he decided to use as the centre piece. Around the meadowsweet, he alternated orange lilies and yellow carnations, and then paused to admire the stark contrast between the snowy centre and its halo of sunset hues.  
  
Glancing up briefly to find the young man’s attention focussed entirely on Kyung’s nimble fingers handling the blossoms, he returned to his task. The two remaining flowers were purple foxgloves and pink geraniums. After a moment of speculation, Kyung decided to place one large stem of foxglove on either side of the bouquet, while the geraniums created a second loop around the lilies and carnations.  
  
When Kyung was done, he looked critically at the bouquet again, considering the arrangement. He wondered if it would have been a better alternative to make the geraniums and foxgloves the inner loop to surround the meadowsweet centre piece, but decided against it. The bouquet was already a scene stealer, the vivid colours of the flowers simultaneously clashing with and highlighting the effects of each other.  
  
It looked abso-freaking-lutely gorgeous, if Kyung did say so himself. The pinnacle of his year's work at this shop.  
  
Lips curling in satisfaction, he carefully wrapped the white wrapping mesh around the flowers and tied it off. Snatching up the garden scissors he had put aside, he swiftly snipped off the uneven stems poking from the bottom and then placed the bouquet in front of his customer so that the flowers faced him.  
  
'Here you go.'  
  
The guy picked up the flowers gingerly, staring at them doubtfully. His expression was bordering on a frown again.  
  
'And this says ...?'  
  
'A very forceful passive-aggressive _fuck you_ , yep,' said Kyung, proudly.  
  
'But it's so ...'  
  
Kyung grinned. 'Pretty? Colourful?'  
  
'Striking.'  
  
That was definitely the word for it, Kyung had to admit.  
  
The guy turned to Kyung with raised eyebrows. 'I kind of expected it to be a lot more ... uglier. More _fuck you_ -ish.'  
  
Kyung laughed openly this time. 'But that's the whole point of insulting someone with flowers, ain't it? They think it's oh so pretty when the truth is, you've just given them the floral sex organ equivalent of your middle finger.'  
  
The customer was openly staring at Kyung now. The corners of his lips were twitching, as if threatening to curl into a smile.  
  
Kyung leaned his forearms on the counter and began to point out the flowers in the bouquet. 'The white ones in the middle - that's meadowsweet. You're basically calling that person utterly _useless_. With these yellow carnations, you're calling them a _disappointment_. This is foxglove; it means _insincerity_. And the pink ones are geraniums. _Stupidity_.'  
  
With every flower Kyung explained, his customer's lips had stretched wider. It was basically a smile now, small but amused nonetheless.  
  
'And this is a lily right?' he prompted, giving one of the orange petals a flick with his finger. 'What does it mean?'  
  
'Take a wild guess. What do you feel most for this person right now?'  
  
'Complete and all-consuming hatred.'  
  
'Bingo,' said Kyung, throwing his head back as he laughed at the seriously spoken dramatic words. 'This right here is one beautiful gift of absolute _loathing_. Still think it doesn't deliver your message?'  
  
'No, it's ...' The guy looked from the colourful blossoms to Kyung. 'It's perfect.'  
  
'It really is.' Kyung nodded seriously at him. 'It's the most glorious thing I've ever put together. Hey, d'you mind if I take a picture of it before you go? I don't think I'll get the chance to make something like it again anytime soon.'  
  
He was already pulling his phone out, enthusiasm abounding, even as the guy said in tones of both surprise and amusement, 'Uh, sure, go ahead.'  
  
'This is the best day of my life,' Kyung whispered happily to himself as he snapped the picture on his camera phone, making sure the lighting did the vivid colours of the flowers justice. Admiring the photograph, he sighed dramatically. 'Ah, it's even more beautiful than I imagined it would look like, I think I'm gonna cry.'  
  
The sound of a high laugh caught him by surprise and Kyung looked round to see his customer properly grinning for the first time since he entered the shop.  
  
'You're so weird,' he murmured. His eyes widened slightly then, as if he had not meant to say that out loud, but Kyung did not mind.  
  
'Hey, don't judge,' he replied easily, handing the bouquet back to his customer. 'I've been waiting more than a year - a year! - for a person to order a _fuck you_ bouquet. I never thought I'd get to make it - and it's so damn beautiful,' he added with another exaggerated sigh at the flowers.  
  
The guy chuckled again, which faded into a thoughtful look. 'Yeah ... you know, I'm surprised -'  
  
'I have that effect on people,' Kyung drawled. It struck him only then that his conversation with his customer had taken an unprofessional turn quite a few banters ago, but before he could figure out how to get back on track, his customer continued with another chuckle.  
  
'I meant, by this.' He lifted the bouquet slightly. 'I ... I came in because I had no choice but to buy flowers for tonight. But I was so pissed off that I just ... I said it on a whim, you know? How to say _fuck you_ in flower - that was just my anger talking. Honestly I was expecting to be told there were no such flowers or something...' He trailed off, giving Kyung an intense look.  
  
Kyung gazed at him, suddenly lost for words. Customers often did share their stories when they came to buy flowers, but they were always romantic and sentimental. This guy, though ... something was off here, though Kyung could not put his finger on what it was, and he did not know what to do about it.  
  
'Ah, but hey, I'm glad.' The guy smiled abruptly at him, wide with a hint of teeth. 'This bouquet is perfect. At least I'll get something out of the hell-hole tonight will be, so really, thanks so much.'  
  
'Wait,' Kyung began hesitantly. He looked from the flowers to the nice clothes the customer was wearing. 'Are you ... are you being forced to go on a date with someone or something? Because that's just wrong, man -'  
  
The young man blanched slightly, his eyes darkening. He took a step back. 'No, not exactly. It's just -' He adjusted the collar of his coat, looking away from Kyung. 'It's complicated. It's nothing really.'  
  
An awkward moment passed before he nodded at Kyung. 'Thank you for the flowers.' His eyes zeroed in on Kyung's name tag on his red polo shirt. 'Park Kyung-ssi.'  
  
Kyung nodded back slowly. 'Happy to be of service ...?' In his concerned state, he forgot to add on the standard "sir", instead leaving the statement open and awkward.  
  
The customer need not have said anything, really, but he looked at Kyung and offered anyway, 'Jiho. Woo Jiho.'  
  
Kyung had not needed his name, nor could he imagine ever needing it. Nevertheless, he responded formally, 'Have a good evening, Woo Jiho-ssi. Please head onto the cashier.' He mechanically pointed in the direction of Jiseok across the shop.  
  
As Woo Jiho began to walk away, Kyung noticed the wrinkled bills he had earlier slammed down onto the counter.  
  
'Wait!' He called. 'Wait - Woo Jiho-sii! You left your...'  
  
Woo Jiho glanced back and, seeing the money Kyung was pointing at, shook his head shortly. 'A tip. For you, Park Kyung-ssi.'  
  
'But -'  
  
Without waiting for Kyung to complete his protest, Woo Jiho hurried over to the cashier counter. Jiseok, who had overheard Kyung calling over to his customer, threw him a questioning look before smiling at his patron and ringing up his bill. Woo Jiho paid and, throwing a brief glance back at Kyung, exited the shop swiftly, leaving behind silence.  
  
Kyung gazed at the doors until they slid shut and then down at the wrinkled bills on the counter. He picked them up slowly.  
  
Twenty thousand won.  
  
'Damn.'  
  
As a University student managing his food and other basic needs alone, Kyung was always grateful and never turned down a single won that came his way, but he felt uncomfortable with this generous "tip". What Woo Jiho had let slip about his forced date tonight was bothering him, even though it was technically none of his business.  
  
He started a bit when Yukwon sidled up to him. 'You two were getting pretty hot and heavy there.'  
  
'Huh?' Kyung gaped at him. 'What the hell, man?'  
  
Yukwon gave a low snicker. 'Relax, I'm not implying anything about you. I know you flirt with basically every person that comes here; in fact, I'd be worried if you didn't.'  
  
'Nope, wrong. I flirt with _you_. I'm friendly with _them_. Learn the difference and stop being jealous, babe.'  
  
His friend shoved at him with his shoulder. Kyung rubbed the abused spot, shaking his head with a melodramatic sigh.  
  
'Ah, why was I born with such an awesome personality? The misunderstandings are endless.'  
  
Yukwon rolled his eyes. 'Yeah, yeah, whatever. Idiot. Anyway, what I want to ask is, what’s the deal with that guy?' When Kyung shot him a mock-questioning look, Yukwon added bluntly, 'That guy who wants you to fuck him.'  
  
Kyung almost choked. 'Dude, _oh my g-_!'  
  
'You really didn't pick up on that?'  
  
'Kwon-ah,' Kyung half-stammered, half-laughed as he stared at him incredulously. 'That guy right now is on some whack date forced on him by some sick person he _hates_. He had to buy goddamn _flowers_ for that twat! He said that joke of a bouquet is the only kick he's getting out of tonight. He was freaking _pissed_ and ready to cut a bitch, a'ight, not thinking about having me in his bed!'  
  
'Hmm.' Yukwon mulled this over for several seconds, worrying his lower lip with his teeth. 'He seemed to be having a good time with you for a moment there -'  
  
'Yeah, I cheered him up for a _moment_ ,' Kyung began with a roll of his eyes, but Yukwon cut across him.  
  
'I don't know what you'd been saying to him, but whatever deep shit that guy is in right now, he didn't take his eyes off you for a second since he first talked to you.' Yukwon looked seriously at him, then shook his head. 'What do you even say to them?'  
  
Kyung was lost for words. He shrugged faintly, still trying to process everything. 'I'm just so irresistible?'  
  
'A narcissistic weirdo, you mean.'  
  
'You can search the seven continents and you still won't meet a nicer, friendlier weirdo than me.'  
  
'Maybe that's why he's into you so quick.' Yukwon snorted, leaning against the counter. 'I suppose it makes sense that there must be someone out there who finds your unattractive self-loving personality appealing.'  
  
'Like you, you mean?' Kyung retorted with a shit-eating grin that veiled his thoughts that were still focussed on Yukwon's unnerving statements about Woo Jiho.  
  
'Keep dreaming.' Yukwon straightened when the door opened to admit a couple into the shop. 'But that guy wants you on some level. Bad. I bet you'll see him again.'  
  
'You have literally no basis for that.'  
  
'He learned your name, didn't he?' Yukwon gave him a piercing look. 'And he gave you his. What reason could he possibly have other than that he's interested?'  
  
'Do you have frickin' supersonic hearing?!' Kyung hissed, but Yukwon was already shuffling away to attend the new customers. With a frustrated groan, Kyung turned back only to be met with Jiseok's knowing eyes from across the shop. Kyung stilled, blinking. With a sinking feeling, he had the feeling his boss had overheard his conversation with Yukwon (and quite possibly most of his interactions with Woo Jiho earlier as well).  
  
He dropped his gaze to the counter. The two ten thousand won bills looked back at him, mocking and intriguing both at once.  
  
Sighing, he gave in and pocketed the money. It was a good tip, regardless of circumstances, and everything was done and over with. He had created that most offensive bouquet he had long been dreaming of, had an amusing conversation with that unique customer before it took a deeply uncomfortable turn, and had - according to wise guru Kim Yukwon, at least - unwittingly made said customer drop his pants for him.  
  
Whatever, it was over. Woo Jiho was just another person that had briefly brushed against Kyung's uneventful life and disappeared, like so many others he had met here in Kim's Scattered Petals. He had made thousands of bouquets for thousands of customers like Woo Jiho, and he will make thousands more for thousands of others in the future. There was no comprehensible reason that they would meet again.  
  
This belief of Kyung's lasted a grand total of seven days. Intermittently he thought of that colourful bouquet he had wrapped and the buyer who had ordered it, but they were fleeting thoughts as he went through his normal routines of attending lectures, working on his assignments and his shifts at the flower shop.  
  
The illusion was broken a week later. Minutes into his evening shift at Scattered Petals, Kyung discovered that Yukwon either did really know what he was talking about or he just turned out to be absolutely right by chance.  
  
Either way, there was no denying the reality that Woo Jiho had just entered the shop and, ignoring Jiseok's raised eyebrows and Yukwon who was both free and nearest to the door, he was steadily making his way over to Kyung.  
  
He smiled as he came to a stop in front of him. 'Hello, Park Kyung-ssi.'  
  
And, quite incongruously, what Kyung was most aware of in that moment was Yukwon smirking across the shop, pointing first at Kyung and then at Woo Jiho before twisting his hand up to wiggle his middle finger in the air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, this fic will have quite a few vulgar jokes, dialogues, F-bombs and whatnot throughout. All of these have made appearances in my other fics too, of course, but they're relatively more frequent here. For this fic, at least, this is how I ended up characterising Kyung (and Zico, who will be revealed more in the next chapter) XD. 
> 
> So, thoughts, anyone? ^_^


	2. Petals

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic is atypically growing more than I anticipated. This will now have 3 parts instead of 2. This second chapter is what I like to call Yukwon-and-Jiseok-do-nothing-to-make-Kyung's-life-less-hard. And more Zico, of course! :D

‘Hello, Park Kyung-ssi.’  
  
Forcefully tearing his eyes away from Yukwon and his vulgar middle-finger wiggling - Kyung would just punch him later, right on that goddamn smirk of his - Kyung turned to Woo Jiho and tried for the easy smile he usually gave his customers.  
  
When Woo Jiho’s smile brightened a few notches, thus assuring Kyung that he had not accidentally flashed a goblin grimace instead in his poorly veiled surprise, Kyung attempted a reply.   
  
‘Wello.’  
  
Wow. OK. Not what he had been going for.   
  
His customer stifled a snort - very poorly at that - while Jiseok, at the cashier counter, clamped a hand over his mouth to silence his laughter in the background. Yukwon was doubled over by the door, not even bothering to smother his guffaws.   
  
_Asshole_.  
  
Somewhat glad that Woo Jiho paid no heed to Yukwon’s very audible glee, Kyung said hastily, ‘I started saying “welcome” because, like, I’m contractually obligated to do that, I’m literally paid to do that, yanno, but you said hello and I ended up saying hello back in the middle and it came out all weird and … yeah…’  
  
Woo Jiho laughed outright then, throwing his head back as he did so. It was such a contrast to the tangible force of fury he had been when he came stomping into the shop a week ago - and even a far cry from his amused reactions to Kyung’s whims that evening - that Kyung stared a little, lips curving up despite himself.  
  
He had a nice laugh.  
  
‘That’s not as bad as what I did once,’ he said conversationally after he had calmed down. ‘In high school, I was at my local library and I accidentally knocked over a bookshelf, nearly hitting the librarian who was this little old lady. I totally panicked and I tried to say “Fuck I’m so sorry” and “Did I hurt you” at the same time and ended up screaming “Fuck you!” at her. I’ve been banned ever since.’  
  
Kyung sniggered appreciatively. ‘Either that really happened or you saw that story somewhere on the Internet. It’s hilarious, though.’  
  
‘Hey, it did happen,’ Woo Jiho insisted earnestly. ‘All the proof you need is the look on her face every time she sees me on the street.’  
  
Shaking his head with a grin, Kyung leaned against the counter, bracing his palms on the smooth surface. ‘So you really knocked over an entire bookshelf?’  
  
‘Technically.’  
  
‘Technically?’ Kyung echoed, raising his eyebrows.   
  
‘Well, technically _I_ knocked over just one. That one crashed into the one in front of it, which crashed into the one in front of it, which crashed into - you get the idea.’ Woo Jiho scratched behind his ear, his cheeks dusting a light red. ‘First and last time I ever played dominoes.’  
  
Kyung burst out laughing. ‘Like in _The Mummy_?’  
  
Woo Jiho looked up, his dark eyes sparkling. ‘Exactly like _The Mummy_. You like that movie?’  
  
‘Are you kidding? It’s a frickin’ classic!’  
  
He grinned. ‘It’s one of my favourites, too.’ He took a step forward then and Kyung was abruptly reminded of where he was and who he was with.   
  
He was suddenly rather glad for the counter separating them.  
  
A glance over Woo Jiho’s shoulder showed that Yukwon was finally engaged in helping out a new customer - Kyung had not heard her come in - and Jiseok had risen to assist him with her order. Exhaling slightly, Kyung returned to Woo Jiho only to be met with his piercing stare.  
  
Kyung blinked. Maybe Yukwon did have a point about Woo Jiho “not taking his eyes off” Kyung. Not that it necessarily meant that he wanted Kyung to fuck him, as Yukwon had ever so eloquently put it, but - oh wait, then that made the staring all the more creepy.  
  
‘So …’ Kyung began slowly, pulling on his practised welcome-dear-customer smile. ‘How may I help you today?’  
  
Woo Jiho’s grin dimmed immediately and Kyung blinked at his customer’s reaction to his attitude change from casual to professional.   
  
‘At least you didn’t call me “sir” today,’ was the muttered response and Kyung straightened, taking in the poorly veiled disappointment on his customer’s face. He did not know what to think - or maybe he did know what to think, he just did not want to think it.   
  
‘It comes with the job,’ he said, deliberating keeping his voice light.   
  
‘You’re contractually obligated?’ The smile was slowly returning to Woo Jiho’s face, a hint of teasing leaking into his voice.  
  
‘Had to sign it with my blood and everything.’ It was strange how easily Kyung could settle into easy banter with Woo Jiho, despite how he made him feel slightly uncomfortable.   
  
Like right now. He was staring again. Still smiling, but very blatantly staring at Kyung.  
  
And because he was Kyung, he responded in the way he always did: ‘Like what you see?’   
  
At least it was better than the ‘Imagining me naked, are ya’ that had been on the tip of his tongue, Kyung thought as he watched, with inappropriate amusement, Woo Jiho choking on air as he blushed furiously.  
  
‘I - I … no, I wasn’t -!’  
  
Kyung could not help snickering, both endeared and intrigued by this guy who looked like he could be in a biker gang one second and inexplicably cute and flustered the next.  
  
Taking pity on his customer, Kyung finally chuckled, ‘OK, but I seriously do have to work now. The boss will kick my ass if I waste my time just chatting.’  
  
Woo Jiho sobered, nodding. ‘Right…’  
  
As Woo Jiho bit his lip, Kyung finally dared to wonder if his customer really had not returned as a customer, but with the sole purpose of seeing Kyung.  
  
Those were dangerous waters and Kyung was not sure he was ready to swim in that yet.  
  
‘She liked the orange lilies.’  
  
Kyung was confused before he understood. His lips began to curl. ‘Really?’  
  
‘Yeah.’ Woo Jiho nodded, smiling faintly. ‘She liked the whole bouquet you made, actually, but she said the orange lilies were the best. It was so ironic I nearly laughed in her face.’  
  
‘You remember what orange lilies mean?’  
  
‘Hatred.’   
  
Kyung laughed gleefully. ‘Oh, I can rest easy in my grave now.’  
  
‘Whoa, wait, don’t die on me just yet. You’re my number one supplier of _fuck you_ bouquets.’  
  
‘I’m your only supplier.’  
  
‘Exactly,’ laughed Woo Jiho. ‘I need you.’  
  
But by then, Kyung had understood the implication and his smile slid off. ‘Wait … you need more flowers?’  
  
Woo Jiho blinked. ‘Yes?’  
  
‘You’re … still going on these … dates?’   
  
His customer’s face was entirely devoid of mirth now. Eyes dark and jaw clenched, he glanced away.   
  
Kyung was uncomfortably aware that he was treading on ground best avoided. Personal affairs of his customers were not his business, but he could not get over the fact that this was a person who had been _forced_ to go on a date with someone he “hated”.   
  
And it appeared that it had not ended with just one date.  
  
It all was just … so _wrong_.  
  
Still, it was not Kyung’s business - and Woo Jiho had certainly not made it Kyung’s business - so he swallowed back the lump in his throat, made of jumbled words he did not know how to express anyway, and said instead,  
  
‘I should warn you now that last week’s bouquet was my ultimate masterpiece. It’s like what the Mona Lisa was to Leonardo, er, not-DiCaprio -’  
  
‘Actually, some argue that Leonardo _da Vinci’s_ best work is The Last Supper,’ interrupted Woo Jiho, looking amused again.  
  
‘People don’t talk about that one like they talk about the Mona Lisa - anyway, stop raining on my parade when I’m trying to be pretentiously artistic here, you're missing the point -’  
  
‘Which is?’ Woo Jiho chuckles.  
  
‘The _point_ is, I probably can’t top that _fuck you_ bouquet, if that’s what you’re looking for. That was the result of one whole year’s work, yanno.’  
  
Woo Jiho is still smiling. ‘That’s OK. I’m not looking for an even more, er, _fuck you-er_ bouquet.’ He grinned when Kyung laughed at his made-up word. ‘Make me any bouquet you like. Just throw in some orange lilies, please.’  
  
He flushed when Kyung crocked an eyebrow at him.   
  
‘What? Might as well keep telling her how much I hate her passive-aggressively with flowers until she stops-’ Woo Jiho paused, frowning.  
  
‘Until she stops forcing you to take her out?’ Kyung said bluntly, finally throwing caution to the winds.  
  
His customer flinches but nods stiffly. ‘Yeah.’  
  
Kyung was burning to ask how the whole thing had even started, but he knew better than to push. Nodding at Woo Jiho, he said, ‘OK, got it. One floral punch to the face coming up.’  
  
He was glad to see Woo Jiho’s face lightening a bit as he turned away to collect the flowers.  
  
Kyung found that he barely had to think to prepare his second bouquet for Woo Jiho. His fingers reached automatically for the flowers, plucking red marigolds, baby’s breath and - on a rather spiteful whim - striped carnations before going for the orange lilies. Woo Jiho looked curiously at the blossoms when Kyung returned, but he remained silent as Kyung wordlessly put the bouquet together.  
  
He made the orange lilies - three large obnoxious flowers - the centrepiece this time before circling them with striped carnations. The red marigolds sandwiched the carnation ring between its yellow-lined red petals and the orange hue of the lilies. Kyung then carefully inserted baby’s breath throughout the flowers so that the tiny white bunches peeked out randomly. He added another small loop of baby’s breath outside the marigolds.   
  
The bouquet was a bit smaller than the previous week’s _fuck you_ , but Kyung was satisfied this one also delivered a message strong enough.  
  
He raised an eyebrow at his customer. ‘Enough? Or you want me to add more?’  
  
‘I’m not the expert here. What does it say? Aside from the lilies, I mean.’  
  
‘No, what I mean is, is it visually OK?’  
  
Woo Jiho threw a critical look at the flowers. ‘I like the orange and red thing it’s got going. They kinda clash, but the …’ He pointed at the striped carnations, ‘… having those between the orange lilies and red flowers is nice. I like how these flowers are both white and …’ He squinted at the stripes on the carnations. ‘Pink? Purple?’  
  
Kyung almost laughed, endeared by his lengthy answer. ‘So, visually it’s good enough, I take it? I know it’s not as colourful as last week’s, but -’  
  
‘No, it’s nice.’  
  
Satisfied, Kyung set about wrapping up the bouquet. Recalling how his _fuck you_ bouquet had had a savage amount of pink and purple in it unlike this one - the stripes on the carnations could only count for so much - he decided to go with a baby pink wrapping mesh this time.   
  
As he worked, Woo Jiho repeated, ‘So? What does this bouquet say?’  
  
‘Well, do you know what orange lilies mean?’ Kyung quipped, swallowing a grin.  
  
Woo Jiho did not even bother to conceal his eye roll. ‘Aw, gee, no, I’ve never heard of it.’  
  
‘It means _I hate you_.’  
  
‘You don’t say.’  
  
‘Pure Voldemort-hates-Harry-Potter hatred.’  
  
‘Mm hmm.’  
  
‘Or cats being forced to take a bath hatred -’  
  
‘Dude, come on.’  
  
Kyung laughed. ‘OK. So, marigolds mean _cruelty_ and _grief_. In the simplest sense.’  
  
‘Marigolds are these red ones, right?’  
  
‘Yeah. And these tiny ones are called baby’s breath. They mean - well, they don’t actually mean anything bad, just _innocence_. I only added them to up the pretty factor. Baby’s breath goes with literally any flower, it’s disgusting.’  
  
Woo Jiho snorted.  
  
‘It’s like the whore of the flower world.’  
  
‘Isn’t that a bit offensive?’ His customer looked like he was biting back a grin though.  
  
‘Hey, I’m not putting a gender on it, it could be a man-whore,’ said Kyung with a shrug as he finished tying off the wrapping mesh around the flowers. Reaching for the garden scissors to snip off the uneven stems, he finished, ‘And the others are carnations. The striped ones mean…’ He paused, belatedly wondering if he was imposing his own ideals onto his customer’s issue.  
  
‘Yes?’  
  
‘ _No_.’  
  
‘What?’  
  
‘ _No_. It means _no_ ,’ said Kyung quietly, handing over the finished bouquet. ‘ _Refusal_.’  
  
Woo Jiho looked from the carnations to Kyung, his face suddenly like stone. Kyung flushed.  
  
It struck him _then_ that maybe his customer might misunderstand the situation as Kyung _criticising_ him – for not saying “No” directly to his tormentor’s face and allowing her to manipulate him to go on dates.  
  
‘I’m sorry, I didn’t meant to offend –’ Kyung began in a rush.  
  
‘Don’t be,’ he interrupted shortly. ‘Your choice is spot on – I should’ve said no from the start.’ He looked down at the blossoms and sighed, his expression melting to one of quiet regret and frustration. ‘But I suppose this is what I get for being a coward.’  
  
‘I wasn’t calling you a coward,’ said Kyung, now wishing he could backtrack on their conversation. ‘I mean, I don’t even know your situation, I’m not judging you, I swear-’  
  
‘It’s fine.’ Woo Jiho gave him a small smile, but the sparkle had flickered out from his dark eyes.  
  
Kyung bit his lip, feeling agitated, irritated and just very, very horrible all at once.   
  
Turning the bouquet delicately in his hands, his customer said without looking at him, ‘Think you can whip up another one next week?’  
  
‘Ne – next week?’ Kyung gaped.  
  
‘And the week after that.’  
  
‘Wha …’ He had to take a deep breath, but he could not hold back his tongue, ‘Weekly dates?’  
  
‘Weekly dates,’ confirmed Woo Jiho grimly.  
  
Holy shit, this entire thing was so messed up. Just what kind of situation was this guy in that he was being forced to take some shitty asshole out every week like clockwork? And with _flowers_? Kyung could barely keep the words from spilling out.  
  
‘And orange lilies?’  
  
A hint of a smile returned to Woo Jiho’s lips. ‘Yes, please. The rest of the flowers are up to you.’  
  
‘At this rate, I’m going to run out of _fuck you_ bouquets rather quickly.’  
  
Woo Jiho chuckled. ‘Oh, I’m sure you can make it work.’  
  
His eyes lingered on Kyung for a long moment, his lips caught between a smile and something bitter, before he thanked Kyung for the second bouquet and headed towards Jiseok to pay for his order. Kyung gazed after his retreating figure, bracing his hands on the smooth countertop while his thoughts whirled in a cacophony of unintelligible noise in his mind. He stiffened when Woo Jiho glanced back at him, just like the previous week, before he walked out of the shop.  
  
Gosh, what in the seven hells had just happened?  
  
A tap on his shoulder startled him back to the present and Kyung whipped around to see Yukwon. He had not even heard him approach.  
  
There was an intolerable smirk on Yukwon’s face that slid off when he noticed Kyung’s closed off expression.  
  
‘Hey, what’s wrong?’  
  
Kyung shrugged, fiddling with the garden scissors. ‘Nothing.’  
  
Yukwon sighed. ‘I was gonna tease the bejesus out of you to kingdom come over how frickin’ _long_ it took you to just _serve_ one dude –’  
  
‘Kwon-ah,’ Kyung began, not in the mood to humour him.  
  
‘- and I’m still gonna do that someday, because _Jesus_ , you two flirted and had sex with your eyes for like half an hour –’  
  
Kyung groaned, flushing. ‘I wasn’t –’  
  
‘Or at least _he_ was having sex with you, anyway, even if you weren’t –’  
  
Before Kyung could interrupt him for a third time, Yukwon placed a firm hand on his arm and said, his tone serious and heavy, ‘But you’re not fooling anyone, Kyung. Something's happened.’  
  
He sighed, mouth curving down in a frown. ‘That’s the thing, nothing actually happened, but…’ He shook his head while Yukwon waited. ‘I don’t know why I feel so weird about it.’  
  
‘It?’  
  
‘That Woo Jiho is being _forced_ to go out with someone. He looks like he’s buying flowers at gunpoint! It’s just … it’s so wrong, you know?’  
  
‘It _is_ wrong,’ said Yukwon levelly with a raised eyebrow. ‘Being forced into anything against your will is wrong. But why do you feel weird for thinking that? That’s the perfectly normal thing to think about that. I’d be worried if you actually thought it was OK for someone to be forced –’  
  
‘But it’s none of my business!’ interrupted Kyung exasperatedly. ‘I mean, yes, I feel sorry for the guy; anyone with a conscience would! But I – it’s not my _business_ , but still I … I…’  
  
Yukwon leaned back against the counter, his body angled towards Kyung. ‘But you’re feeling more worked up over it than you think you should be?’  
  
It was unnerving how Yukwon had plucked from Kyung’s jumbled mind what he himself was unable to and laid it out in a coherent sentence.  
  
Kyung sagged against the counter beside his friend, leaning on his crossed arms. ‘Yeah. Exactly. Why am I so freaked out about it? I’ve met this guy a total of two times.’  
  
‘And yet, you get along famously.’  
  
When Kyung stared at him, Yukwon rolled his eyes, looking partly amused and partly exasperated (which was his default expression around Kyung in general).   
  
‘You don’t chat for half an hour with all of your customers, you realise? You’ve met this Woo Jiho twice but spoken with him more than any of your other customers put together.’  
  
Kyung picked at the hem of his left sleeve. ‘So, you’re saying…’  
  
‘That you like him as much as he wants you to fuck him.’  
  
‘Ugh.’ Kyung reached over to punch Yukwon on the arm. ‘I’m being serious, Kwon-ah.’  
  
‘Shocking.’ Rubbing his arm, Yukwon yelled at Jiseok over his shoulder, ‘Hey, boss! Bring out that bottle of champagne you were saving, Park Kyung is being serious for the first time in his life!’  
  
‘I heard,’ said Jiseok nonchalantly without looking up from the daffodils he was tending to. ‘You brats forget this is a fairly small shop. I hear everything.’  
  
Kyung stilled. ‘Everything, hyung?’  
  
‘Everything. As in every word that passed between you and that young man you’re twisting your panties over – last week and tonight.’  
  
‘Hyung!’  
  
‘And yes, I can confirm that he seems very eager for you to, er, what was it, Yukwonnie?’  
  
‘Fuck him?’ supplied Yukwon without a hint of shame (which was the role usually filled by Kyung; clearly he had rubbed off too much on his co-worker).  
  
‘Hmm, yes. I can confirm that he wants you to fuck him. And you can confirm for yourself when he comes back next week … or earlier, probably. Idiot left his phone by the register.’  
  
‘What?’ Kyung and Yukwon gawked at their boss. ‘Hyung, why didn’t you call him back and return it?’  
  
‘Obviously 'cause I noticed it long after he left,’ Jiseok pointed out in the tone of an adult explaining something to a slow child. ‘Anyway, he’ll be back soon, I bet. Then you can confirm his sexual fantasies about you or just get the deed done already and save us all more weeks of you two eyeballing each other – but not here, please; flowers are delicate and expensive and I won’t tolerate you rolling around in them.’  
  
‘You’re both horrible people.’ Kyung shook his head and slumped back over the counter. ‘Absolutely wretched.’  
  
‘You’re even more horrible for leading him on, Kyung-ah.’ Yukwon said gravely.  
  
‘What? I’m not leading him on!’  
  
‘So your conversations with him were completely natural?’  
  
‘Yes!’  
  
‘Nothing was forced?’  
  
‘Nothing!’  
  
‘You two just clicked right from the start?’  
  
‘Yes, for fuc- !’ Kyung realised where Yukwon had led him only after the words had left his mouth.   
  
His friend was grinning broadly. ‘So you do like Woo Jiho?’  
  
‘I …’ Kyung ran a hand through his hair, half-glaring at Yukwon. It felt like he had walked right into a trap, and yet … it was true. He had certainly hit it off with Woo Jiho right from the beginning without even realising it and, well … he did not dislike the guy.  
  
‘I don’t dislike him,’ he finally admitted, his voice low.   
  
Jiseok laughed heartily from across the shop. ‘Was that so hard to admit?’  
  
‘I’m not saying that I want to … to …’ Kyung began loudly, flailing his arms a bit as he tried to find the words. He was usually great with words; he prided himself for his wit and humour the most, damn it, but when it came to Woo Jiho, why the hell was he getting tongue tied?  
  
However, it seemed Yukwon had taken on a new role of translating Kyung’s garble. ‘We’re not saying you’re in love with him or anything, man. That’s ridiculous. But you _can_ like a person only after a couple of meetings, y’know?’ When Kyung dropped his arms, he added, ‘Also explains why you’re bothered about Woo Jiho going on these forced dates. You like him, so you care about it. Simple.’  
  
Kyung looked from Yukwon to Jiseok, frowning. ‘OK, that reasoning, I can get behind. But the bullshit about Woo Jiho wanting me –’  
  
‘To fuck him.’ Yukwon stifled an uncharacteristic giggle when Kyung glowered at him.  
  
‘- I don’t get that.’  
  
‘Why not?’ Jiseok stretched his arms over his head. ‘You can be sexually attracted to someone after seeing them just once.’  
  
‘Let me rephrase myself: I don’t _want_ that.’ Kyung folded his arms.   
  
Yukwon cocked his head. ‘Not into one night stands?’  
  
‘Nope.’  
  
‘Huh.’ Yukwon tilted his head even more. ‘Funny, I totally thought of you as a no-strings-attached son of a bitch. No offence.’  
  
Kyung did not bother pointing out that not a single part of that remark had been inoffensive.   
  
‘There’s only one person in the entire world that I’d make an exception for a one night stand, babe, and I’m looking right at him,’ said Kyung, partly because he could never pass up an opportunity to flirt with Yukwon – one of his favourite past-times since he joined Scattered Petals – and partly to steer the conversation away from the dangerous topic of Woo Jiho.  
  
Yukwon rolled his eyes, which was his typical response to Kyung’s playful advances, but the curve of his lips gave away his amusement. ‘See, that’s exactly why I thought you wouldn’t mind if someone just wanted to bang you. You flirt with anything on two legs.’  
  
‘I don’t flirt with chickens.’  
  
Not having expected the lame joke, Yukwon choked on an involuntary cackle and Kyung grinned. ‘I’m not saying they’re not sexy, they’re downright _ravishing_ , makes me wanna eat ’em and all, but nah, they’re not my type.’  
  
‘And I’m your type?’  
  
‘You know it, babe.’ Kyung deliberately leaned towards Yukwon, placing his hands on the countertop on either side of Yukwon’s hips, trapping him. He cast a swift glance to make sure they were alone in the shop besides Jiseok; he did not even bother to look, already used to Kyung and his antics.  
  
Yukwon turned his head away from him, unable to curb a laugh. ‘Keep dreaming, Park Kyung.’  
  
‘You wouldn’t laugh if you didn’t like it.’ Kyung wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.  
  
‘Were you always this ugly? Or did I just not notice from a distance?’ Yukwon said with a mocking smile.  
  
‘This face is what you jerk off to every night.’ Kyung shrugged, still casually invading Yukwon's personal bubble. ‘The day you come out of denial, babe, just say the word. I’ll give you that one-nighter.’  
  
‘In some other universe, some other me that is not in a steady relationship with a wonderful girlfriend and not strictly heterosexual might consider taking you up on that offer. But ain't happening in this life, bro.’  
  
Yukwon pressed a finger to Kyung’s chest but Kyung remained where he was. ‘Strictly heterosexual?’ He sniggered. ‘Is that a joke? Or am I the only one you reveal your not-very-hetero side to?’  
  
Yukwon shrugged, lips twitching despite himself. ‘What can I say? As ridiculous and conceited as you are with an ego the size of this planet, you grew on me.’  
  
‘He grew on me, too,’ called Jiseok over his shoulder, now poking around the orchids, ‘but I sure as hell am glad he doesn’t pull that stuff with me!’  
  
‘Saving the best for last, hyung-nim,’ Kyung quipped and he and Yukwon both roared with laughter as Jiseok shuddered audibly.  
  
‘Ugh, keep your hands to yourself if you want to keep this job, punk.’  
  
‘Oh, Yukwonnie wouldn’t let me put them on anyone besides him.’ With a sleazy grin, he pressed closer against Yukwon so that he was almost standing between his legs, Yukwon’s lower back cutting into the counter behind him and Kyung’s arms just centimetres shy of closing around his waist.  
  
Yukwon was not bothered in the least and just snorted derisively. Kyung shot him a manic grin and angled his head closer, intending to head-butt him before letting go.  
  
The door of the shop opened. ‘Excuse me, I think I left my pho –’  
  
Kyung’s first instinct to leap as far away from Yukwon as possible – because _professional_ and _work environment_ , damn it – was immediately overshadowed by his muscles freezing in place when he realised who their customer was. Pupils shaking with surprise, he gaped over Yukwon’s shoulder at Woo Jiho, whose dark eyes had immediately located Kyung and were now switching between him and Yukwon. He was still clutching, with white knuckles, the bouquet Kyung had made what felt like only five minutes ago.  
  
In that moment, what really struck Kyung was not the inappropriateness of the position he was in with Yukwon, but rather that he did not want Woo Jiho to see him in that inappropriate position with Yukwon.   
  
A strange regret to occur and a little too late, in any case.  
  
Yukwon craned his neck around and, spotting Woo Jiho on the threshold, he straightened. His body came up flush against Kyung’s, jolting the senses back into him and Kyung quickly pulled back.  
  
Before he could say anything, though, Jiseok took the reins of the situation, swooping down on Woo Jiho like some tall gangly eagle.  
  
‘You left your phone, yes? It's right here by the cash register. I’m sorry I didn’t shout after you, but even I didn’t notice it for a while after you’d left –’  
  
Still talking a mile a minute with flamboyant flourishes of his arms, he guided Woo Jiho towards the cashier counter with all the air of a magnate escorting a party guest around some tawdry mansion. He pressed the smartphone into Woo Jiho’s hands, loudly admonishing him to be more careful and barely allowing Woo Jiho time to speak. Kyung noticed that Jiseok also made a point of placing himself between Woo Jiho and his line vision towards Kyung, which worked up to the point Jiseok escorted his customer right to the door.  
  
There Woo Jiho abruptly paused, his back stiff as the door slid open.  
  
'Is there anything else?' Jiseok prompted, one arm still delicately held towards the door and the crisp Spring night awaiting outside.  
  
'I...' He turned on his heel, paused, opened his mouth and closed it again, his brows furrowed. He looked past Jiseok, still trying to block him, straight at Kyung.  
  
 _What?_ Kyung found himself pinned to place by the force of Woo Jiho’s piercing gaze. He did not know how to react and, later, reflected with a cringe that he must have looked painfully dumbstruck.  
  
With a swift shake of his head, Woo Jiho abruptly stalked out of the shop and the door closed behind him.   
  
Silence reigned for a torturously long moment. Kyung and Yukwon looked at each other, but stilled when their boss turned on them with an uncharacteristically murderous look on his face.  
  
'You two,' Jiseok said in a carefully controlled tone, which was an icy one-eighty turn away from his usual warmth. 'You know I don't mind your shenanigans as long as you get your work done and there aren't customers around. I give you that leniency with the understanding that you'd be _careful_ about your actions! You're adults and you're supposed to be professional in front of each and every client.'  
  
'I'm sorry, hyung-nim,' Kyung said contritely and Yukwon bowed his head respectfully, echoing the apology. 'I really didn't notice him come-'  
  
'Because you weren't careful! Our front wall is literally one huge display window; anybody can see a customer approaching!'  
  
Kyung bowed. 'I'm sorry, Jiseok hyung. I'll be more careful. No more jokes like that, I promise. I'm so sorry.'  
  
Jiseok sighed, his ire draining. 'I know you are. It's just ... reputation _is_ a thing. I don't mind your jokes,' he added when Kyung tried to apologise again, 'as long as you're aware of your environment and make sure customers don't see anything they'd take the wrong way. You see a customer coming, you get your mug out of Yukwon's face, understand?'  
  
Kyung could feel his cheeks burning. 'Yes.'  
  
'I'm sorry, too, Jiseok hyung, I should've been more careful, too,' said Yukwon, still bowing.   
  
'Alright, that's enough. Lift your heads.'  
  
Kyung was still blushing from embarrassment as he and Yukwon straightened their backs again. Jiseok no longer seemed angry, but the look he gave Kyung was odd.  
  
'What is it, hyung-nim?'  
  
'Maybe you ought to tone down your little jokes with Yukwon in general, Kyung. They're silly, I'll give you that, but ... it wasn't only my shop's reputation that was compromised just now, y'know.'  
  
'What d'you mean?'   
  
Yukwon put a hand on his hip, throwing Kyung a disbelieving frown. 'Seriously, dude? What do ya think Woo Jiho must have thought when he came in just now?'  
  
There was another flash of embarrassment as Kyung vividly recalled the look on Woo Jiho's face as he gaped at Kyung pushing Yukwon up against the counter.  
  
'It was just a joke,' he grumbled.  
  
Yukwon rolled his eyes while Jiseok shook his head with a small smile. 'Yeah, _we_ know what, dumbass, but your obsessed little admirer doesn't,' said the former. 'He probably thinks you're fucking me.'  
  
'Which probably dampens his fantasies about you a bit,' Jiseok added with a small chuckle.  
  
There was an uneasy lurch in the pit of Kyung's stomach, but the thoughts in his head ring loud and clear now. 'You two are missing the part where I don't want to be his fuck toy for a night. No one night stands. Remember? That's ... sort of the discussion that led to all this.'  
  
'But you like him. We've established that.'  
  
'He's easy and fun to talk to, so yes, I like him. Doesn't mean I want to fuck him once and never see him again,' said Kyung stubbornly. 'So if he thinks I'm banging Yukwon and no longer wants me as - as a freakin' conquest or something, then yes, I'm more than fine with it.'  
  
Yukwon tilted his head. 'OK, but what if he wants you to fuck him every night?'  
  
'Oh, for the love of -' Kyung pinched the bridge of his nose, now really wanting to punch Yukwon in the face. 'I think I preferred the old Yukwon. The one who didn't make everything out to be about sex, 'cause for one thing, that's my job, and for another - this is getting old real fast.'  
  
'I'm not trying to -'  
  
'I think what Yukwon means is,' cut in Jiseok from where he had settled at the cashier counter again, 'with Woo Jiho, it seems kinda obvious that he feels a physical attraction to you, _but_ ,' he added pointedly when Kyung opened his mouth, 'maybe he likes you a lot, too?'  
  
'Uh...'  
  
'He wants you. And he likes you. There's a vast difference.'  
  
'And you like him,' Yukwon added unnecessarily.  
  
Kyung massaged the back of his neck, eyeing the two of them sceptically. 'So you think he was jealous just now?'  
  
'Damn, boy, did you even _see_ the look on his -'  
  
Yukwon was interrupted mid-sentence when the door of their shop opened again. Immediately at attention, they turned to greet the customer, but their practised smiles froze on their faces when, for the third time that night, a familiar figure strode in.  
  
His footsteps were quick and harried, as if he had half-run back to the shop, but his eyes on the other hand were intent and focussed, filled with determination. There was the same grit in the set of his jaw and the pale skin stretched tight over the knuckles of his right hand that clutched his bouquet in a death grip. His expression only wavered, just the slightest, when he came to a stop in front of a stunned Kyung.  
  
For a single moment, all the self-confidence and resolve that had fuelled his return to Scattered Petals evaporated from Woo Jiho's face as he looked at Kyung, replaced with a vulnerability Kyung had never seen before. But then his jaw tightened again and he said, with just the barest tremor to his voice,  
  
'This is a very stupid thing to ask, probably, and a very awkward thing to ask, definitely, and I can't explain anything right now, but I really have to - I really want to know -' He drew in a shaky breath. 'Are you seeing anyone, Park Kyung-ssi?'  
  
The countertop was smooth and cold beneath his palms and the air wafting over his bare neck from the air conditioner behind him was cool, but all Kyung felt right then was heat - the heat in his cheeks, around his collar, pooling somewhere in his gut as he gazed at Woo Jiho, at this man that made him laugh effortlessly in one moment and rendered him speechless the next; this stranger that was drawing him in, his pull almost magnetic, but who still looked at Kyung like _Kyung_ was the source of that attraction, the force yanking on some invisible thread that had been spun between them.  
  
Kyung gazed at him until Woo Jiho's eyes fluttered to the countertop, his cheeks staining red like ink from an upset inkstone as his embarrassment burst forth, impossible to be kept hidden any longer. His clutch on the bouquet was almost unforgiving, but the fingers of the hand that hung loose at his side were trembling, soft shivers that he tried to hide in the folds of his coat. Biting down on his lower lip, he looked up again.  
  
'Well ... are you? Park Kyung-ssi?'  
  
His slanted eyes flickered for the briefest second towards Yukwon, who was standing a few feet away from Kyung. That short but heavy glance was what did it - it cleared Kyung's mind of the thousand muddled doubts flooding it, and returned control of his tongue.  
  
'No. I'm not.'  
  
Woo Jiho's eyes widened just barely, a spark flickering behind them. A spark of ... relief? Hope?  
  
'Is there ... someone you're thinking of seeing?'   
  
Again that swift glance in Yukwon's direction and Kyung realised, with absolute certainty, that Woo Jiho had with his actions and words just now confirmed every theory Kim Yukwon and Kim Jiseok had come out with about Woo Jiho's alleged feelings towards Kyung. The moment was as unnerving as it was gratifying.  
  
'No. There isn't.'  
  
Their eyes locked and Kyung wondered if Woo Jiho would come right out and say it, and if he did, how Kyung would answer him. But Woo Jiho did not, only looking at Kyung with the beginnings of a genuine smile on his lips, his cheeks still blushing deep red and his eyes alive with what Kyung could only describe as a wild joy.  
  
It was not a look he was used to receiving.   
  
The silence stretching on was broken by a polite cough from Jiseok. Embarrassment was quick to thread through Woo Jiho's smile and his blush seemed to deepen, if that were possible. Suddenly not knowing where to look, he scratched his neck with his free hand, mumbling, 'I ... I should go.'  
  
'Aren't you late, you late, for a very important date?' Kyung could have smacked himself for the silly reference, but it was lost on Woo Jiho, who seemed to be getting more and more flustered.  
  
'Um, yeah. Flowers. Date. Right.' Woo Jiho smiled shyly at Kyung, a stark contrast to the iron resolve he had borne when he came stomping in minutes ago.   
  
Kyung was rudely reminded of why he found Woo Jiho stupidly endearing.  
  
'I'll see you next week,' he murmured and then, ducking his head, he quickly left the florist shop, leaving Kyung to gape after him.  
  
The door closed and Jiseok swivelled in his chair to raise his eyebrows at Kyung. Before either could say a word -  
  
'That guy has no chill.'  
  
Kyung choked out a breathless laugh, his mind still whirling, as Yukwon sidled up to him.   
  
'I mean, I knew he was jealous of me -'  
  
'Bet you've been waiting since the day you were born to say that phrase, eh?'  
  
Yukwon did not bat an eyelash. '- but I didn't see _that_ coming. He sees one guy all up in your space and he comes barrelling in to stake his claim; what even is wrong with him!'  
  
'Technically, _I_ was the one doing the space invasion and nope, no claims were staked.'  
  
'Yet,' called Jiseok cheerfully.  
  
Yukwon poked Kyung in the shoulder, hard. 'I think I deserve this moment to say -'  
  
'Lemme guess -'  
  
'I _told_ you so, Park Kyung!'  
  
'I knew it.'  
  
They fall quiet for a minute, leaning their elbows on the counter. Finally, Yukwon murmured without looking at him, 'Kyung? I know I pushed the whole thing about Woo Jiho wanting you quite a bit. But that's only 'cause I was so sure I knew what he was thinking. It was in no way me pushing you to go for him, OK? That's a decision entirely up to you. I hope you understand that.'  
  
Kyung smiled softly. 'Of course.'  
  
'So, you OK with this?'  
  
'I still don't know what _this_ is exactly.'  
  
'Hmm, yeah ... What are you going to say to Woo Jiho?'  
  
'Right now, I really don't know.'  
  
'Well ... you have a week to figure it out.'  
  
As it turned out, Kyung did not have a week. He did not even have three days, in fact, before he ran into Woo Jiho again. And this time, it was not at Scattered Petals, but the last place Kyung could have expected to run into him.  
  
His university campus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I blame the last few scenes on my BGM, which was Han Sooji's [**"Winter is Coming"**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywIIh9YbNQM) from Goblin OST.   
>  Zico's background will be revealed next chapter, with more action iykwim ;) Comments and constructive criticism are always appreciated ♥


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